Mold with vent block



J. T. NELSON, JR

MOLD WITH VENT BLOCK 1b 10 22 l I Jul 8, 1969 F1168 Oct;

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y 13,1969 J. 'r. NELSON, JR 3,454,254 I I Mow WITH VENT BLOCK Filed Oct. 26. 1966 Sheet 2 of2 ZW v Q if United States Patent 3,454,254 MOLD WITH VENT BLOCK John T. Nelson, Jr., Mount Prospect, Ill., assignor to Amsted Industries Incorporated, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 26, 1966, Ser. No. 589,655 Int. Cl. B29c 1/14 U.S. Cl. 249--141 3 Claims This invention relates generally to the casting of metal articles and more particularly to a mold apparatus device for the pressure casting of molten metal.

It is the present practice in the steel industry to cast ingots which are subsequently processed in the various preliminary conditioning operations such as cropping, grinding, and/or scarfing in order to prepare such ingots for subsequent rolling operations which furnish the ingot slabs, blooms or billets. These rolled products are then used to form various mill products such as beams, plates, sheets or rails.

It has been proposed in the French Patent No. 1,449,104, Edmund Quincy Sylvester, issued July 4, 1966, to cast these shapes in a permanent mold by pressure casting to overcome the necessity for multiple molds to produce the various sizes or shapes, an adjustable mold, comprised of a pair of opposed main side blocks, movable toward and away from each other for closing the mold, has been proposed. Adjustable inner blocks are interposed between main mold blocks for forming cavities of different sizes by adjusting the position of the inner blocks.

The inner blocks comprise a top block, a rear end block assembly and a bottom block. These inner block formations, with the main side blocks, define a cavity therebetween which is closed at the front end by an ingate assembly. Although such a mold has been shown to be highly successful, difficulty has been encountered under certain conditions in venting or providing escape for the air or gas entrapped by the molten metal as the metal fills the mold cavity.

Previously a venting means was provided which consisted of a porous refractory material emplaced or packed into a steel retainer. The emplacement and packing of this material and subsequent emplacement of the prepared block in the mold assembly requires considerable time and expense.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a venting means which does not require extensive, costly preparation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a venting block which does not require packing with porous refractory material.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary sectional view in elevation of a mold apparatus embodying features of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of a vent block;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an end view of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional detail in elevation of a corner of a mold apparatus showing a novel vent block.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes an adjustable slab mold mounted on a carriage 12. The mold 10 comprises in part two main side blocks 14, and a plurality of inner blocks hereinafter described. The two side blocks 14 are identical in configuration.

The inner blocks comprise a top block 16, a bottom 3,454,254 Patented July 8, 1969 "ice block 18, and a rear block assembly 20. The two main side blocks 14 engage the inner blocks 16, 18, 20 therebetween defining a mold cavity 22 which is open at its front end. The open end of the cavity is closed by an ingate assembly 24 which is not per se part of the present invention. The blocks of the mold 10 are preferably constructed of graphite. The top and bottom blocks 16 and 18 are preferably substantially the same length as the side blocks 14. The bottom block 18 extends below the main side blocks 14 throughout most of its length, but it has a reduced end portion 25 which may be approximately fiush with the surface of the main side block 14. The bottom block 18 normally remains fixed on the carriage 12. It is mounted on the rail 26 supported on the transverse beams 27 of the carriage 12. The top block 16 is supported by a plurality of hangers or supports 28 which are adjustable in order that the position of top block 16 with respect to the main side blocks 14 may be adjusted for different sizes of slabs. Reference may be made to the above-mentioned French Sylvester Patent No. 1,449,104, for further details on maintainance and adjustment of the side blocks 14, top block 16 and bottom block 18.

The inner blocks 16, 18, 20 are selected as to thickness by reference to the thickness of the slab to be cast. For example, customary slabs may be 5, 6, or 7 inches in thickness; for each of these thicknesses a corresponding set of blocks 16, 18, 20 are utilized in the mold.

The rear end block assembly 20 consists of a main rear block 30 supported and positioned in the mold assembly by convenient means 32, and a vent block 34 in abutting contact with the upper surface 36 (FIGURE 6) of the rear block 30. The vent block 34 is preferably made of a chill material such as cast iron or steel.

It may be seen in FIGURE 3 that the vent block 34 consists of a rear portion 38, a top portion 40, a front portion 42 and a bottom portion 44, joined by weldment or other suitable means. A center tunnel-like void or space 46 passes through the interior of the block in the manner shown.

As best seen in FIGURE 4 the bottom portion 44 is provided with two elongated slots 48. These slots penetrate the entire depth of the bottom portion 44 and communicate with the center space 46, and allow the front of the vent block 34 to be aligned with the front of the rear block 30.

As best seen in FIGURE 5 the entire top surface 50 of the block 34 is formed into a series of slots or corrugations 52. In present practice these slots 52 are generally V-shaped in cross-sectional appearance, as shown, and are on the general order of A; inch deep.

From the above description of the features of my novel vent block, it may easily be seen how the vent block allows the entrapped gasses to escape as shown in FIG- URE 6. The vent block 34 is secured to the rear block 30 by means of a plurality of bolts 53. These bolts extend through the slots 48 and are secured to the rear block 30. Nuts 54 secure the vent block 34 to the bolts 53 in well known manner. The top surface 50 abuts the bottom of the top block 16 as shown. The vents or slots 52 thus provide voids through which may pass gas entrapped within the mold cavity. The slots are small enough to cool and thus to solidify any liquid metal which may enter the slots 52 when the venting action is completed and the cavity filled.

While the above description present a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. A vent for an adjustable chill mold having a top plurality of interengaged mold blocks, including a top block and an end block, defining a casting cavity, said vent comprising: a vent block having a top corrugated portion communicating With a surface of said top block, said top corrugated portion and said surface of said top block defining a plurality of voids communicating with said casting cavity and the exterior of said mold, a front portion having a casting cavity defining surface, and a bottom portion engaged with a surface of said end block; and ajustable means to position said casting cavity defining surface of said front portion relative to a casting cavity defining surface of said end block.

2. The vent set out in claim 1 including a cavity in said vent block, said cavity being partially defined by said top, bottom and front portions.

3. The vent set out in claim 2 wherein said adjusting means comprises: elongated openings in said bottom portion opening into said cavity; and retaining means slideably engaged in said openings and fastly engageable with said bottom portion and said end block.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/ 1933 Korsmo 249-141 5/ 1956 Fienberg et al. 4/ 1961 Simpson 249-141 X 8/ 1878 Rogers 249-141 3/ 1920 Hachmann 249-141 X 3/ 192 0 Hachmann 249-141 X 10/1920 Hachmann 249-141 X 10/1920 Hachmann 249-141 X 10/ 1920 Hachmann 249-141 X 2/1933 Kopp 249-141 X FOREIGN PATENTS 11/ 1931 Great Britain. 11/ 1931 Great Britain.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

1. A VENT FOR AN ADJUSTABLE CHILL MOLD HAVING A TOP PLURALITY OF INTERENGAGED MOLD BLOCKS, INCLUDING A TOP BLOCK AND AN END BLOCK, DEFINING A CASTING CAVITY, SAID VENT COMPRISING: A VENT BLOCK HAVING A TOP CORRUGATED PORTION COMMUNICATING WITH A SURFACE OF SAID TOP BLOCK, SAID TOP CORRUGATED PORTION AND SAID SURFACE OF SAID TOP BLOCK DEFINING A PLURALITY OF VOIDS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID CASTING CAVITY AND THE EXTERIOR OF SAID MOLD, A FRONT PORTION HAVING A CASTING CAVITY DEFINING SURFACE, AND A BOTTOM PORTION ENGAGED WITH A SURFACE OF SAID END BLOCK; AND AJUSTABLE MEANS TO POSITION CASTING CAVITY DEFINING SURFACE OF SAID FRONT PORTION RELATIVE TO A CASTING CAVITY DEFINING SURFACE OF SAID END BLOCK. 